What you'll notice
One decoder gets most channels but is missing a specific group, while other decoders in the same house receive everything normally.
Why it happens
That output of the multiswitch has partially failed, or the run to that room has enough loss that the weaker transponders no longer make it. Selective loss of a coherent group of channels is characteristic.
Losing a defined group of channels on exactly one TV is unusually informative — it rules out the dish, the LNB and the account in a single observation.
Why groups of channels vanish together
Channels are grouped onto transponders by frequency and polarity. A marginal signal path loses the weakest transponders first while stronger ones carry on. So the "missing channels" are not a random selection — they are the ones with the least link margin, and their disappearance is an early warning that the path is degrading.
The three candidates
- Multiswitch output. Individual outputs can fail partially — often after a surge — while the rest of the unit works.
- Cable run loss. If that room is the furthest from the head-end, it has the least margin to begin with and shows problems first.
- A degrading connector somewhere on that specific run, most likely at a wall plate.
The swap test
Comparing the affected room's cable against a known-good outlet immediately tells us whether the fault is upstream or in the room. It takes minutes and it saves considerable time chasing the wrong end of the house.
How we fix it
We measure at that room's outlet and compare against a working one, which isolates whether the fault is the multiswitch output, the cable run, or a connector along the way.
Still not working?
If the checks above haven't restored your multiswitch & splitter, this usually needs a technician. Our Multi-Room Installation service covers exactly this fault — from R1 450, quoted upfront.